


Winter Naru Week 2018

by castielwholmes



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Female Pronouns for Narukami Arashi, Fluff, Multi, OR IS THERE, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, apparently there's something madara doesn't know how to do, but it's like. adult sanctioned?, that wasn't supposed to be capitalized but ok, underage drinking in chapter 4
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-26
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-09-27 19:56:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17168369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castielwholmes/pseuds/castielwholmes
Summary: A collection of drabbles for winter Naru week!! Seven more stories about Arashi loving and being loved(I apologize for the quality of this because ranking for her and Kuro took a lot out of me)———————————Chapter 1: KnightsChapter 2: 2-BChapter 3: Track ClubChapters 4-7: Madara/Arashi





	1. Holy (K)night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arashi is so glad Japan decided to start celebrating Christmas.

Arashi is _so_ glad Japan decided to start celebrating Christmas. Really, you can never have too many holidays to cherish the important people in your life. That, and just the general feeling of happiness that comes this time of year. Everyone is bustling about making preparations for both this holiday and the new year, and downtown especially is certainly not lacking in spirit. Breathing in she can smell chocolate and pine trees, and breathing out makes the most delightful cloud. Well, that last thing would happen whether Christmas were a thing or not, but really, it makes it much more fun to add something like that to the list of what makes this season so nice.

The sight of four of those important people — well, four and a little sister — greets her as she approaches a café. Ruka notices her first, tugging eagerly on her brother’s hand until he turns around to see her.

“Naru! Naru’s here! _Merry Christmas_!”

Leo’s excited shout quickly catches the attention of the other three. Ritsu and Tsukasa repeat the greeting, and at his side Ruka waves shyly. Izumi is the only one who seems unimpressed.

“You’re late,” he informs her, pulling down his mask. “If we stayed any longer in the same place someone would’ve recognized us. Plus, my parents want- m-my dermatologist says I shouldn’t be out in the cold for too long if I don’t want my skin to dry out.” Arashi grins.

“Aw, Izumi-chan, you wanna spend lots and lots of time with your parents on Christmas, don’t you? What a _wonderful_ son you are!” she teases. His face had already been red from the cold, but she’s known him long enough to know when he’s blushing on top of that.

He rolls his eyes. “Tch, whatever. Let’s just get this over with.”

“I-Izumi-san, that's not very nice!” Ruka’s small voice sounds. He opens his mouth as if to say something in response, but Leo’s glaring daggers at him so he seems to rethink whatever it was.

Arashi leans down to be more at eye-level with the smaller girl. “Oh, Ruka-chan, you look absolutely _adorable!_ I was, like, soooo happy when your onii-chan said you’d be coming along!” Ruka smiles and blushes even redder. “Ah! Here, I got these for you! I thought they were just _darling_.” She pulls a little cloth bag from her tote, and Ruka’s eyes widen when she pulls out two scrunchies covered with music notes. “Do you like them?” The girl nods excitedly.

“Thank you, Arashi-san.”

The look on Leo’s face as his little sister holds her gift up to show him warms Arashi from the inside out.

“Oh, and of course we’re here because I also have these for the rest of you! I wanted to wrap them but I _totally_ lost track of time. I mean, I know I could give them to you later but it’s Christmas! Of course I should give them to you today!” She sets her bag down on a table, rummaging for the four charms she’d put so much time and care into the past few days.

Ritsu grins. “Nacchan’s getting slo~ppy,” he teases, a playful glint in his eyes. “Here I was expecting something tied up nice with a bow.” She pouts.

“Ritsu-chan.”

“But I guess it’s nice, not having to put in the effort to unwrap it.”

“There we go.” Her unitmate and classmate does have a nice smile when it’s used for good and not evil. Not that she sees that smile very often, however. “Ah! Here they are!”

Arashi had never really used a sewing machine before, but she’d wanted the _omamori_ she made for her unit to be just perfect _._ She’d spent _ages_ looking for the perfect fabric for each one, then figuring out how to attach the intended blessing, then giving up on figuring it out on her own and looking up instructions online. After much deliberation she’d decided on the four different blessings she thought suited her unitmates best: happiness for Izumi-chan (since that boy just won’t seem to allow it for himself), safe travels for Ou-sama (since Mama seems to drag him all over the place), health for Ritsu-chan (she worries about him, she really does), and for Tsukasa-chan, protection from evil because that child really is too pure for this world. Inside each one she’d tucked a photo from their first live together, so the charms would be blessed by the feelings she holds in her heart.

Tsukasa gasps. “Thank you, Narukami-senpai! This _Charm_ is wonderful!” He seems to struggle for a moment, trying to loop it onto a zip on his jacket, but his gloves make it a much harder task than it should be. She can’t help but giggle when he gives up and tucks it in his pocket.

“Naru, did you make these?” Leo asks, inspecting his from every angle. “It’s perfect! I love it! I love you! Man, this is great! Ruka, do you have my book? _Inspiration_!”

“Hold on, don’t these need to be blessed by a priest to even work?” Izumi looks skeptical, despite the fact he’d already clipped his to his bag. “What’s the point then?”

“They’re filled with Nacchan’s love, aren’t they?” Ritsu suggests. “That’s powerful stuff right there.”

“That’s right!” she says, tapping Ritsu’s nose. He lazily chomps his teeth as if to bite her. “You guys are _super_ important to me, you know. Of course I’d want to keep you safe into the new year— _oh?”_

Her classmate slumps into her arms in a very Ritsu-esque version of a hug, which she would _certainly_ welcome if not for the fact that the unexpected weight knocks her back into the snow. “Ritsu-chan!”

He pops up on his arms over her, a childish smile on his face. “Sorry.” When he rolls off her so she can get up, he has the audacity to hold up his arms to her as if it weren’t his fault he was on the ground in the first place. But, well, she’s not known to pass up a chance to spoil someone she loves.

“Okay, come on, up you go!”

“Thank you, mom♪”

Once Ritsu’s on his feet, she’s brushed herself off, and she’s calmed her blush enough to play it off as the cold, she turns back to her unit. Izumi seems a bit antsy, checking his watch and looking into the distance. He probably wants to get back to his parents, and she can’t help but envy him just a little bit.

She claps her hands together. “W-well, that was really the main reason I wanted to meet up with you guys, so if you’ve got other places to be then you should probably get going!”

Tsukasa bows, thanks her again for the gift, and hurries off. With a family like his, he’s probably got a few important people to impress at dinner. Izumi excuses himself too, and Leo insists on walking him home so he can say merry Christmas to “Sena mama and Sena papa.” Ritsu too seems to have someplace to be, though he seems less eager about it than the others, likely at the prospect of having to spend more time with his brother than he’d like.

Arashi picks up her bag to head back home for a date with some hot chocolate and Nyanko, but… something feels off. It wouldn’t be the lack of the charms, since they weren’t all that heavy to begin with. Plus, it almost feels a little bit… heavier?

She’s greeted by the sight of four little packages, all wrapped up nicely in three cases and a bit sloppily in the fourth. Each one has her name written on them, and suddenly she feels so warm that she doesn’t think she needs her coat or scarf. They must have gotten in there while she was on the ground.

 _This really is the most wonderful time of the year,_ she thinks with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the more i wrote the more i realized how cute arashi and ritsu's friendship is and wow i'm soft  
> thank you for reading!


	2. Sweaters and Cuddles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, Arashi would find it hard to believe that the words “quiet” and “Class 2-B” could ever be used in the same sentence. Unless of course that sentence is “Class 2-B does not know how to be quiet.”

Honestly, Arashi would find it hard to believe that the words “quiet” and “Class 2-B” could ever be used in the same sentence. Unless of course that sentence is “Class 2-B does not know how to be quiet.”

Not that she’s really one to complain though. This liveliness is what makes her class interesting. And today is _certainly_ no exception, she notes as she looks around the studio. It’s her class’s turn for a seasonal photoshoot, and their theme is nothing other than… ugly Christmas sweaters.

Now, she can appreciate the festive spirit even if it means putting on something with questionable aesthetic value. It’s all for the sake of fun, isn’t it? Though she is just a little jealous of the elegant autumn concept the other second year class had gotten. Their pictures were absolutely _gorgeous_ , leaning for a more Japanese look in reds and oranges and yellows and browns. She didn’t know much about how the actual shoot went aside from Adonis repeatedly mentioning how beautiful Souma had looked. As adorable as that was, it didn’t do much to prepare her for how a, well, _chaotic_ class might deal with the photos.

At least Ritsu seems to be as happy as a clam, though. He’d managed to get his hands on a two-person sweater, which he’s now sharing with Mao. His boyfriend doesn’t seem quite as enthusiastic about the whole deal, but the fond expression he wears gives away that he probably doesn’t mind all that much.

Yuzuru is juuuust a tiny bit taller than her, so he was given the role of “Christmas tree”: a dark green sweater covered with tinsel and beads and bells. He’s a good sport though, and accepted it without a moment’s hesitation. Even if Arashi can swear she saw a hint of fear in his eyes when he looked at himself in the mirror. The poor thing, he’ll probably never live it down from that first year of his. That’s probably why he’s sitting down and staring at the wall rather than talking to anyone. He doesn’t even seem fazed by the dog running around the studio.

Speaking of the dog, Koga is a special case, of course. He’d absolutely refused to participate in something as ridiculous as this, even if it was a requirement for the whole class to be a part of it. He’d wavered briefly when he was told he could bring Leon, but decided that he couldn’t let him get involved in anything so stupid. That doesn’t explain why he’s wearing a reindeer sweater and rolling around plastic ornaments for a corgi in one just like his, though. He’d told her not to bother trying to pet Leon since he “doesn’t like weirdos,” but it seemed like the dog hadn’t gotten the message and had jumped right on her for kisses.

Mika, the poor child, seems to be the most worried of all. His oshi-san had made him a sweater after he’d told him about the shoot, insisting that any doll of his must look absolutely elegant every time he’s showing himself to the public, but the staff had decided it was too pretty for him to wear for something like this and given him one covered in Christmas lights that actually glow and blink. She would offer to trade, since the cat pattern on hers is _much_ less tacky, but… well, as much as she loves her best friend she wouldn’t be caught dead in something like that.

“Naru-chan, he’s gonna kill me!” he’d cried out before burying his face in her chest. “I should just quit right now an’ run away to a different country! I ain’t gonna know no one there but that’s still better than havin’ to face him!” It wasn’t until she assured him repeatedly that she won’t let that happen that he finally calmed down enough for the class to actually get started.

The pictures did turn out cute, though. They may be far from perfect, but they certainly do a wonderful job bringing out the character of her class. She’s got her hands and her chin on Mika’s shoulders, who’s flashing peace signs at the camera. Mao and Ritsu have their heads leaning together and had formed a heart with the hands that weren’t hidden by the sweater. Yuzuru and Koga are on either side of the four of them, as after coming to his senses the former had realized that he wanted to be as far away from the dog as possible. Arashi’s rather impressed by how dignified he managed to be, with the combination of both one of his biggest fears and the ridiculous sweater. And for Koga the photographer had managed to take a picture just as Leon licked his face, so rather than his usual grumpy face the photo captured what’s probably the biggest smile she’s ever seen him wear.

All together though, it reminds her of what she loves about being in this class. Everyone’s different personalities shine through, but there’s still a sense of unity whether they realize it or not.

This is going to be a picture she’ll keep for a long time, she thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys..... 2B is really really cute  
> thank you for reading!


	3. Dance with Me!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The muscles may be a perk, but the people are really what make this club so wonderful.

A light blanket of snow coats the ground of Yumenosaki’s track field, and as much as a certain first year will probably hate to admit, it is  _ way _ too cold to run.

Arashi had taken her time getting to the locker room, hoping that maybe she’d get a message saying that practice is cancelled and she’d get to turn around rather than getting there to find out there was no point.  But she had no such luck, and when she arrived five minutes later than they’d decided on she found the other members there waiting for her. She wouldn’t necessarily label herself late, though, she notes as her eyes are drawn to the club captain.  Rather, she’s just in time to see him change, and take the opportunity to admire his muscular build. As much as she doesn’t necessarily like all the running and workouts, this certainly was the right choice of club.

“Arashi-chan-senpai!”

Thin but strong arms wrap around her waist as her kouhai hugs her from behind.  “Ah! Geez, Mitsuru-chan, you surprised me!” She puts her hands over his when he nuzzles into her back.  “Well, I’m happy you’re this excited to see me.”

“Of course I’m excited, yanno!  It’s way more fun with Arashi-chan-senpai here!”  He jumps away from her and moves in front of her. “C’mon, get dressed!  We’ve been waiting for you!

It’s always  _ so  _ hard to refuse this boy anything, but instead of getting her uniform she sits down on a bench and crosses her ankles and arms.  “Don’t you think it’s, like, super cold outside though? I mean, would it really hurt to take a day off and go to a café or somewhere just the four of us?  You know, to celebrate the end of the year and all we’ve done and all that. I’ve been wanting to spoil Mitsuru-chan for a while now for doing so well.”

Adonis looks thoughtful.  “The cold can be dangerous.  Those who are weak will not last long.  It may be best to be careful. Even if you run, your body may not be able to keep you warm enough.”  His words are serious as usual, but she wonders if he’s really just excited at the idea of going to a café.  His sweet tooth is certainly no secret, despite his looks. 

“Yeah, we can’t let it mess up our voices either!”  Madara adds. “I was going to ask Chiaki-san if we could use the gym too, but if it’s something Arashi-san wants then it sounds like a great idea!”

“Well it’s a good thing you have me to give ideas like this then.  Like, shouldn’t you have asked earlier if you were going to be intruding like that?”  She’s surprised that she didn’t have to do any more convincing, though. “Though I suppose if it’s you you’d be able to persuade him.  Say, Mitsuru-chan, what do you think?”

The first year is the only one who doesn’t seem totally on board.  Arashi can practically see the gears in her kouhai’s head spinning as he determines whether he should be disappointed about not getting to run or happy to go out with his senpai.  His thoughts show on his face, and she’s very entertained by the way his mouth moves and his eyebrows raise and lower before he seems to settle for the latter, and a big smile spreads across his face.  

“Yeah!  That sounds fun, yanno!  Ado-chan-senpai, can we go to that one place you like?  That was super good!” He’s bouncing on his heels in his excitement.  

“I don’t know why you are asking my permission, but I would be happy to go back there again.”

“Perfect!!! C’mon! Mike-chan-senpai, I’ll race you there!”  A hand grabs the back of his uniform before he can get away, and he pouts when he turns around to see Madara looking at him with an amused smile.

“What kind of mama would I be if I let you outside like that?”  He lets go of the first year, tossing his school blazer at him. 

“Buchou is right,” Adonis says, though he doesn’t seem too happy about it. “Tenma is small, so the cold will hurt him.”  He’s buttoning his shirt over his jersey, which Arashi is, admittedly, a little disappointed by. Well, she guesses she’s gotten her fill of eye candy today. 

By the time the four of them are all bundled up, Mitsuru has tried to run off enough times for Arashi to instruct him to walk between her and Madara, holding both their hands to make sure he stays with them. 

“It’s like we’re a family, yanno!” he’d exclaimed happily.  “My mom makes me hold her hand too so I don’t get lost!”

As they get closer downtown, the more excited Mitsuru becomes. He tugs on Arashi’s hand, urging her to move faster.

“Mitsuru-chan, be patient!” she scolds.  “We’ll get there soon, I promise.”

“But there’s music, yanno!  Can’t you hear it? It sounds like a biiiiig party!”  He lets go of Arashi and Madara and runs a few meters ahead.  “Come on! It’s this way!”

The upperclassmen share a glance, and naturally Madara is the first to follow.  “It’s pretty impressive if they put on something like this without me knowing! I want to check it out!  Hey, Mitsuru-san! Wait up!” After he runs off, the two second years are left on their own. 

“Well, we can’t let them have all the fun, can we now?” Arashi asks.  “Adonis-chan, let’s go!” Smiling, she grabs his hand and squeezes before pulling him behind her to catch up with the others. 

It’s nothing too big or fancy, just a band playing and a few vendors with hot drinks and warm food, but the atmosphere is just  _ wonderful _ .  Madara’s already disappeared off in the crowd, while Mitsuru’s jumping around in excitement.  “Arashi-chan-senpai! Arashi-chan-senpai!” He grabs her hands and pulls her forwards. “Let’s dance!”

“Oh?”  She laughs as she allows her kouhai to spin her around in circles.  He’s bouncing up and down and she soon does the same, which makes him smile even brighter.  He seems more like a young child than he does an idol with this style of dance, but it suits him, she thinks.  She sends a prayer out to anyone who may be listening that this boy keeps this enthusiasm and happiness for his whole life.

He lets go abruptly just as she nears the other second year.  “Ado-chan-senpai, your turn!” She figures she’ll get to watch the two of them spinning around, wondering how on earth the first year isn’t getting at all dizzy, but Adonis takes  _ her _ hands instead.  

“Narukami, allow me.”  He smiles, pulling her close and pushing her away in time with the music.  This boy really does have such a wonderful smile. She really doesn’t understand why he seems so worried about it, who could be scared off by something as nice to see as this?  She may not get to see it as often as others may, but it’s still something quite beautiful.

This time, when Adonis lets go, she’s not met by anyone in front of her.  Rather, she stumbles back a step and into someone’s chest.

“Arashi-san, may I have this dance?” Madara asks when she turns around to apologize, holding out his hand.  

Now, her club captain’s smile is something she’s seen many, many times.  But there’s something different about this smile, gentle compared to his normal grin and some red on his cheeks that might not be from the cold or the excitement.  She can’t help the smile of her own when she puts her hand in his and he holds on to her waist.

When he spins her around it’s much different from when Mitsuru did, raising his arm so that she can twirl beside him.  Her heart is racing, and he doesn’t do anything to calm it when he pulls her back in. With the other two it had just seemed like a fun moment, but if Mama keeps doing this she thinks that if it weren’t for Kunugi-sensei she just might fall for him.  She quickly pushes the thought out of her mind… only partly by choice. 

Madara lifts her up almost effortlessly to avoid the pair about to crash into them, but not soon enough not to send all four of them right into a pile of snow.  

“A-Arashi-chan-senpai!  Mike-chan-senpai! Are you okay!”  Mitsuru sounds like he’s about to cry, lifting his head from where Adonis had been holding him to his chest to minimize any damage.  “I’m really, really sorry, yanno! It was an accident, I promise! I didn’t mean it!”

It takes her a moment to process all this, what with the very sudden change in mood, but even before her mind comes to a conclusion of what happened a laugh begins to bubble from her lips.  Mitsuru still looks nervous, but this child cannot stay quiet for long when other people are enjoying themselves and he soon starts to giggle as well. Madara’s unmistakable laugh joins them, as does Adonis’s soft chuckle.  She’s certain everyone must be staring, but she doesn’t mind right now. 

The muscles may be a perk, but the people are really what make this club so wonderful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so off-schedule it's not even funny but hey i really wanted to keep getting these done!  
> i love this club too much when will they get content again  
> thank you for reading!


	4. Cheers to New Year’s!!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Madara finds her sooner than she expected.

Madara finds her sooner than she expected. 

Not that she’s all that surprised, though.  It is his house, and this boy is crazy good at figuring out almost anything about her.  So when her boyfriend’s arms slip around her waist and his chin settles on her shoulder, she’s able to melt into his grip without hesitation.  The balcony is cold anyway, and her cardigan is only so warm.

“Everything okay?” he asks, softly kissing below her ear.  She laughs, squirming a little in his arms. “My parents can be pretty overwhelming sometimes, I know.  Sorry about that.”

She shakes her head, taking another sip of her drink.  “No, it’s nice seeing how well you get along.” Her hands settle on top of his.  “It’s just a little new to me, you know? My family never really gathers for things like this, so I wasn’t all that sure what to expect.”  At that, another sip.

“Are you sure my mom wasn’t too much?”

Arashi smiles, shaking her head.  “Your mother is  _ lovely _ . I liked the pictures she brought out, too.  You were adorable, you know?”

Her boyfriend feigns offense.  “And I’m not adorable now?”

She sets her glass down and turns around in his grip, draping her arms over his shoulders and pressing her forehead to his.  “You are  _ irresistible _ .”

Just as she leans in for a kiss, Madara leans back.  She pouts, hoping her disapproval will get through to him.  “Hey, she didn’t let you have champagne, did she? That woman…”

Arashi giggles.  “Maybe ju〜st a glass,” she tells him.  She doesn’t feel too affected anyway, but it is a good excuse to turn up the charm.  “It’s okay though because I’m here with you,  _ senpai _ .  You’ll keep me safe, won’t you?”  His eyes widen at the honorific, and she makes a mental note to take advantage of that later.  “Anyway, did you need something? Or did you just miss me lots and lots?”

Her boyfriend’s demeanor changes almost instantly.  “Well yeah, it is almost midnight, you know! And… well… you know!”

She taps the tip of his nose.  “You’re cute when you’re shy. I didn’t even know you could  _ be _ shy.”  Something she loves about dating Madara is that she seems to bring out such a delightful side of him. She almost says it too, but she’s not nearly tipsy enough for that.

“Hey, it’s not my fault my girlfriend is out here looking so beautiful.”  He laughs, much more gently than she’s used to.

“Mm, isn’t it though?” she teases.  “It was your idea to invite me, and I’m always looking beautiful so I don’t know why you seem surprised.  But I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to… you know.” It’s a bit dark, but she can almost imagine he’s blushing when she shoots a wink at him.  “How much time do we have?”

They've still got a good half hour until midnight, but Arashi doesn’t feel much of a need to rejoin his parents.  Rather, she’s more than happy to spend the time alone with her boyfriend, talking and laughing and sharing champagne once she convinces him to try it.  She acts scandalized about how they shared an indirect kiss, only to receive a real one before she can finish her sentence. They talk about past New Year’s kisses, whether it be a friend from a modeling agency the year before or a childhood friend long enough ago the other has probably forgotten.  They talk about upcoming lives and promises to be in the audience. They don’t really talk about what’s happening in a few months, the G word, but Arashi  _ really _ doesn’t want to think about that anyway.

And when it hits midnight, as fireworks sound in the distance, they share a kiss that promises a beautiful year ahead.  Neither of them are sure quite how many follow that, but they can’t help but think if they’re lucky those countless kisses will also bring countless years together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as expected i'm back on my bullshit  
> thank you for reading!!!!!


	5. Fun in the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Are you really telling me that the Mikejima Madara, the man who can do anything and everything, doesn’t know how to ice skate?”

“Oh. My. God.”  Arashi tries, and fails, to stifle a laugh.  “Are you really telling me that  _ the _ Mikejima Madara, the man who can do anything and everything, doesn’t know how to ice skate?”  Her boyfriend had hesitated for a moment when she brought up the date idea, but she didn’t think he’d never actually done it before.  He’d accepted it soon enough, anyway. And they’re in New York City, of all places, in the middle of winter. How could she let this opportunity go?

“It never really came up!  Not since I was a kid, anyway.”  She’s never seen this sort of expression on him.  And unlike most things, it doesn’t entirely suit him.  But he’s encouraged her to go outside her comfort zone before, so it’s natural that she should try and do the same to him. 

She claps her hands together.  “Alright! I’ll teach you then.  It’s  _ lots _ of fun once you get the hang of it.  Plus, you know, every couple has to do this at least once!  C’mon, I’ll let you hold my hand the whole time, okay?” His eyes light up like a child’s at the suggestion, and she takes a moment to appreciate how she really does have the world’s cutest boyfriend.  She pulls him down by his scarf to kiss him before going off to get their skates. 

Naturally the line took much longer than she expected, and when she comes back she finds him sitting and chatting animatedly with a man she’s never seen before.  She’s not entirely sure which language they’re speaking, but when he spots her and grins before saying something to the man she doesn’t need to understand to know he’s probably saying something embarrassingly sweet about her.  The man waves to her before getting up and leaving so she can sit next to him. 

“Who was that?” she asks. “One of your contacts?”

“Nah, I’ve never met him until today!  He’s a tourist from Switzerland and he wanted to know if I had any recommendations around here.  That’s what I love about these places, if you look cheerful enough you’re bound to make new friends.”  Her boyfriend takes the skates she offers him. “He’s not too good with English, so you should’ve seen the look on his face when I responded in Swiss German!  Aren’t people just great?”

He’s always so energized when he meets someone new, like a puppy going for a walk in a new neighborhood.  “Well, someone like you is bound to attract the good ones. You got me, for example.” She smiles, and pats his cheek gently.  “Let me know when you’re all ready, got it? I promise it’s not as hard as it seems.”

Arashi was expecting to have to help him lace up the skates, but he was finished before she had even gotten her second one on.  “Are you sure you haven’t done this recently?” she asks.

“These are pretty similar to some boots I wore once,” he replies.  “We were hiking somewhere really muddy so we needed to lace them as tight as possible to make sure we don’t lose them!”  Of course, pretty much anything he does can be traced back to somewhere he went before. She’s done a fair bit of traveling with her boyfriend already, but not nearly enough to have even a quarter of the stories he does.

“Okay, then, just wait for me and we’ll go out together.”

The rink is crowded, unsurprisingly.  Families and couples and friend groups cover practically every inch of the ice, and now even she’s beginning to have second thoughts about this.  But she’s determined to help her boyfriend experience this. “Mama, hold my hand and don’t let go, okay?”

“You don’t have to tell me twice!”  

They make it on without a problem, Madara staying between the railing and Arashi so he’s supported on both sides.

“See, it’s not so bad, right?” she prompts.  “Now you just dig your toes in on one foot so you can push off a little.  That might be the easiest way for you to start moving.” She squeezes his hand, skating forward just a bit so he can follow her.  He seems shaky, but manages to move forward a few centimeters. “Wonderful! Mama, you did it!” His eyes widen.

“Really?”

She nods.  “You’ll be skating on your own in no time.  We’ll go around a little more with me holding your hand and then we’ll see what you can do with just the wall!”  This is going much better than she’d thought, but then again he  _ is _ Madara.  He’ll be able to do a triple axel in about 20 minutes if he wants to.

When she feels confident enough in him to let go of his hand, she realizes that might not be the case as he slips only moments after her hand leaves his.

“Mama, are you alright?  Geez, I let go of you for one second and you end up like this.  What am I going to do with you?” She gets on her knees to help him up, holding onto the rail to keep the both of them steady.  “Are you hurt at all? Let me see.” 

He holds up his arm awkwardly, waving his hand a bit.  “I kind of hit my hand on something, but it’s not too bad.  I can keep going!”

Arashi takes his glove off and presses a kiss to the back of his hand.  “Better?”

His smile is absolutely ridiculous and Arashi cannot get enough of it.  “Much.”

“Alright, take my hand again and we’ll try to go around together, okay?”  It almost feels like she’s talking to a child. But being the one to teach him something isn’t a bad feeling.

They make it farther than she expected before the next stumble, where both Madara’s feet slide out from under him and he lands right on his backside.  

“Can you kiss it better too?” he asks innocently once she’s helped him up.  She rolls her eyes and pinches his ass, earning a small yelp. 

“You’re ridiculous,” she tells him, biting back a smile.

“So you’ve told me.”  He lets go of the railing, putting his gloved hands on her cheeks to give her a soft kiss.

It takes Arashi a few moments to register what had just happened.  “Hey, you’re not holding on!” she exclaims. “Have you figured out your balance?”

As if on cue, he falls again.  It’s a little  _ too  _ well-timed, and she’s beginning to wonder if he’s really all that awful at skating.

“Mama, were you telling the truth when you said you can’t skate?”

He gets up as easily as if he’d been doing it his whole life.  “I never said I couldn’t skate. I just told you I was never taught!  And besides, I wanted you to hold my hand!”

The situation is so ridiculous that she can’t help but laugh.  “You’re unbelievable, you know that. If you wanted to hold my hand you could have just asked.  Like, we’re  _ dating _ .  You don’t have to trick me.”  He grins his stupid, irresistible grin again, and she’s finding it incredibly frustrating how it’s so difficult to be annoyed by him anymore.  “But fine then, if you’re so good why don’t you lead me around?”

Madara bows impressively deeply.  “Allow me to escort you,  _ my princess _ .”  He offers her his hand, which she takes before tugging him in for another kiss.

“I’m still mad at you for making me believe that lie,” she tells him after she pulls away.

“That kiss didn’t seem like you were mad, tho-?”  She cuts him off with one more kiss, turning around so he can’t see her smile.

“C’mon, just skate with me already.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> honestly my original plan was that he actually didn't know how but i quickly realized how ridiculous that was  
> thank you for reading, i hope you enjoyed! ^^


	6. 1, 2, Pose!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She doesn’t know how he did it, but the dress fits her perfectly.

The image of the dress had been stuck in her mind since the moment she saw it.

Arashi’s in no way confident enough to wear something like that in public, but it really was cute.  It’s a red velour, but not too bright as to be obnoxious. The sleeves are long and trimmed with fur.  A black belt crosses the middle, and the bottom is lined in the same way as the sleeves. It looks like it’d cut off around her knees, so leggings made of the same material had been hanging next to it.  Paired with some black boots and some red lipstick it would be absolutely _darling_.  Turning it down was difficult, but she isn’t ready for that just yet.  Honestly, she knows her senpai was just trying to make her happy, but at this point it almost feels like he’s teasing her.

But as she prepares to leave to finally go home, the allure of the outfit hanging behind the empty register is too strong to ignore.

Just trying it on would be okay, wouldn’t it?  Like, it couldn’t hurt, right?

 

She doesn’t know how he did it, but the dress fits her perfectly.  He certainly wasn’t wrong when he mentioned it was tight, but she doesn’t have the heart to complain about something like that right now.  As for her lips her public makeup bag doesn’t have many bold pigments, but she manages to find an acceptable reddish color. Now to find as close to a full length mirror as she can, maybe take a few pictures, then she can go home and try her best never to think about a certain thoughtful and stupidly attractive senpai again.  He really had looked so excited to show her this. She’d be lying if she said her heart hadn’t skipped a beat seeing how soft his smile was.

No, she said she _isn’t_ going to think about him.  She’s going to find a mirror.

She has no such luck, and five minutes later she’s stuck with no mirror and Mama still on her mind.  The first problem has a fairly quick fix, as she puts her phone on selfie mode and props it up on a shelf so her whole body is in view.

To her delight it looks even better than she’d hoped.  While she’d prefer the skirt to be more flowy, she can’t hold back her smile as she sets up the timer on the camera so she can have a better idea of how cute she looks.  

She wonders what Mama would think if he saw her right now—no, no she doesn’t, she’s not thinking about him—

“Arashi-san?”

Her heart stops.  For probably the first time in his life he’s managed to show up somewhere quietly, and of course it just had to be now.  She turns around to see him staring at her, a half-eaten cupcake in his hand and some frosting still on his lips. Which she decidedly is _not_ looking at.

“Oh?  Ah, sorry, I had _no_ idea you were still here so I-“

“You look beautiful.”  

He’s told her she’s beautiful before.  Multiple times, in fact. Sometimes multiple times in the same day.  But he’s never said it like this, like a revelation rather than a natural fact.  She’s not sure how that makes her feel, and she’s not sure she dislikes it.

“W-well of course I do, would you ever expect anything different from little ol’ me?” she says, in a desperate attempt to keep her cool.  Though it doesn’t seem like he notices either way. The cupcake is discarded on a countertop and his hands, luckily clean, find their way to her face before she can do anything.

The air feels a lot thinner.  Maybe it’s the cold, even though if the temperature in the room had changed it would be warmer if the way her cheeks felt were any measure.  Maybe it’s the altitude. With the snow, the ground is higher. Even though that doesn’t change how the building is built. She’s looking for something, anything, to explain why she’s finding it hard to breathe that isn’t her club captain holding her face like she’s a precious object and looking at her as if he’s never seen anything so beautiful before.

“Can I…?”

She nods.  She doesn’t know what exactly she’s agreeing to, but as his hands leave her face to run down her shoulders to her waist she thinks she wouldn’t be able to refuse even if she tried.  He reaches her hips and she trembles at his touch.

“Shit.”  He pulls his hands away, and Arashi feels a bit disappointed by the loss of his warmth.  “Was that not okay?”

Rather than tell him, she decides to show him exactly how okay it was.  Her lips just barely touch the corner of his mouth before she pulls away, anxious to see what he’ll do next.

He stands stunned for a moment.  “Arashi-san?” His voice is almost a whisper.  She didn’t know he even knew how to do that.

“Yeah?”

Madara is close.  

Too close.  

But not close enough.

“You look beautiful,” he repeats.  She can almost feel his breath on her lips as he speaks.  It might make her blush if she weren’t already too focused on his mouth to think of anything else.

“Mama, do you want to talk or are you going to kiss me?”

He chooses the latter.

This may not be Arashi’s first kiss, but it’s the first one that’s left her wanting more before it’s even over.  She tells herself that it’s the sweetness on his lips that’s keeping her from pulling away. It might not be true, but it’s less scary than any other possibility.

It isn’t long before she finds out his lips aren’t all that’s sweet, as the kiss deepens and she presses herself even closer to him, eager to make as much contact with Madara as she possibly can.  His hands are squeezing gently at her waist, and she can’t help but think how nice it would be if he were a little rougher and his hands were a little lower. He tastes like chocolate and peppermint.  His lips are just a little bit chapped. The longer he kisses her, the simpler her thoughts become. Her hands slip into his hair, and the way he moans into her mouth when she tugs just a little clears her mind of absolutely everything else.  She’s a little disappointed when his hands move to her cheeks to pepper kisses over her face, but she captures his lips with hers again quickly enough.

It’s perfect, until it hits both of them what “it” is.

She freezes, then he pulls away abruptly.  Her lipstick is smeared around his, and likely her, mouth.

“Uh,” he says. 

“So,” she replies. 

“I gotta go.  Thanks… thanks for the help.”

He’s gone as soon as he appeared, and Arashi is left on her own to process what just happened.  She leans against the wall to steady herself, before she slides down until she’s crouched down with her head in her arms so she doesn’t have to face how much of a flustered mess she must look.

Not thinking about him is going to be a lot harder than she’d hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i've literally been wanting to write this since the winter santa gacha came out but didn't until now... good thing though bc this was perfect for the prompt  
> thank you for reading!!!


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